Abstract

It is unnecessary here to justify the importance of landforms in the study of geography and the claim that their full understanding requires careful field observation. What is true of geography as a discipline is vital in its teaching. This is the essence of the problem. of good geography teaching, for it can be taught with textbooks and chalkboard, but to be successful these must be supported by skilful use of visual materials and field work, both of which make great demands on the time and energy of the teacher. Without them the student is equipped with a mass of factual material, a poor foundation for further academic study and only a small contribution to his real education. He may understand the mechanics of the earth's structure or the processes of denudation and yet be incapable of recognising the consequences of these on the landscape or a map. Such dangers in unimaginative formal teaching are numerous, and the concentric approach, working from the known to the unknown, and sample studies, while not complete answers in themselves are attempts to provide a basis in comprehensible features. At the same time there has been a commendable increase in fieldwork in schools which is the best way to bring reality and understanding into geographical teaching.